Retainer with penetrating teeth



May 4, 1965 F. R. HxLL 3,181,412

RETAINER WITH PENETRATING TEETH Filed May 7, 1962 A T TOR/VE YS United States Patent O 3,181,412 RETANER WITH PENETRA'I'ING TEETH Frank R. Hill, 4087 Chamoune, San Diego, Calif. Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 193,902 1 Claim. (Cl. 8S-13) The present invention relates to a retainer for wood or the like and is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Serial No. 153,283, led November 20, 1961, now abandoned.

The retainer consists of an elongated relatively narrow and relatively thin strip of stiff material such as sheet metal. It includes, in either embodiment, an elongated section having wood penetrating teeth disposed at an angle with respect to the linear direction of the section. These wood penetrating teeth are adapted to be driven into the end of a plank throughout substantially the width of the plank. The strip also includes at least one section which extends from an end of the elongated section and at substantially right angles with respect to the elongated section and Substantially parallely of the wood penetrating portions for securing the integral strip to a side edge of the plank. 1n the preferred embodiment of the invention a pair of these sections are provided, one extending from one end of the elongated section having the Wood penetrating portions and the other extending from the other end of the latter section.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the wood penetrating teeth are disposed at substantially 45 degrees with respect to the linear direction of the elongated section, and, the teeth on one side of the elongated section are staggered with the teeth on the opposite side of said section.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a retainer in which the elongated section is provided with teeth;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an end of a plank showing the retainer of FIG. l fastened thereto; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the plank with the retainer in position.

The present invention is particularly useful for preventing the splitting of the ends of the planks, which planks are used by plasterers and painters. It has been found that when the retainer is fastened to the end of the plank as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the libers of the plank are bound and thus the splitting of the plank is materially minimized and substantially prevented. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the retainer is shown at 129. It consists of an elongated relatively narrow and relatively thin strip of stiif material such as steel. It comprises an elongated dat section 122 and a plurality of sharpened teeth 124 which extend rearwardly from opposite sides of section 122 and are disposed at an angle of substantially 45 degrees with respect to the linear direction of the strip 122. These teeth are formed by partly severing section 122 at substantially right angles with respect to the linear direction of the section and then bending the portions rearwardly whereby the cutting or penetrating ends of the teeth extend inwardly of the side of the at section. This retainer 12@ also includes integrally formed end sections 128 and 13) and these sections are provided ICC with pointed portions 132 nad 134 which are disposed substantially parallelly of the section 122. The sections 128 and 130 are disposed at substantially right angles with respect to the section 122 and therefore the points 132 and 134 extend toward one another.

The teeth 124 of section 122 are driven into the end of a plank as is more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The teeth 124, which extend from one side of the section, are in staggered relationship with the teeth that extend from the opposite side of said strip. The penetrating ends of the teeth extend inwardly from the opposite sides of the llat section. The penetrating ends being so disposed and the teeth being so staggeredly disposed and also being disposed at an angle of forty-live degrees with respect to the linear direction of strip 122, provide ample grip with the end of the plank, yet bind the bers at the end of the plank and therefore materially limit the splitting and substantially preventing the splitting of the plank.

The sections 12S and 13) extend along the side edges of the plank and the teeth 132 and 134 are driven into the side edges of the plank. The teeth 132 and 134, being driven into the side edges of the plank prevent the teeth 124 from creeping out of position, that is, these points retain the teeth 124 in position. If desirable a second set of teeth 154 may be provided at the extreme outer end of each of the sections 128 and 130.

lf desirable under certain circumstances the sections 123 and 130 may be provided with holes 156 for receiving nails as shown at 158.

While the form of embodiments herein shown and described constitutes preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claim that follows.

I claim:

An article of manufacture comprising a retainer for wood or the like, said article consisting of:

(A) An integral strip of metal, said strip including:

(1) an elongated flat section,

(2) integrally formed wood penetrating teeth dis posed at substantially forty-five degrees with respect to the linear direction of the first mentioned section, all of said teeth extending in the same direction from said flat section and being normal thereto, the penetrating ends of said teeth extending inwardly from opposite side edges of the flat section, said teeth being Istruck from said llat section to define a plurality of substantiallyV-shaped notches spaced uniformly along said side edges, one of said teeth extending from each edge of said notch, whereby the two teeth adjacent each notch are angularly related at substantially with respect to one another, and the teeth extending from one edge of the at section are in staggered relationship with the teeth along the opposite edge of the ilat strip, said teeth being adapted to be driven into the end of a plank throughout substantially the width of the plank;

(3) a pair of sections, one of said pair of sections extending from one end of the said elongated section and the other of said pair of sections extending from the other end of said elongated sections, said pairs of sections extending substantially at right angles with respect to said elongated section and in the same direction as a said Wood penetrating portions for securing the strip to opposite side edges of the plank, said pairs of sections each including:

(a) a pointed portion, said pointed portions Y extending toward one another. 5

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 344,691 f 6/86 Thomas 85-49 458,763 9/91 Madden 85- 13 10 605,470 .6/98 Bradish 85-49 9/86 Great Britain. 10/56 Switzerland.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

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